OBAMA THREATENS VETO OF TIPTON’S WATER RIGHTS BILL
Washington, D.C.—Despite growing support on Capitol Hill for Scott Tipton’s Water Rights Protection Act, the legislation may be in trouble. While the bill is being debated, President Obama has threatened to veto it. Tipton says the battle now boils down to private property rights versus the Obama Administration. Tipton’s bill would prohibit the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service from withholding permits in exchange for privately held water rights. Tipton calls it a federal water grab that will cripple many industries like agriculture and skiing. The Cortez Republican has bipartisan support for his bill and endorsements from over 40 public and private agencies and associations including the National Ski Areas Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau.
POT POSSESSION CASES COULD BE OVERTURNED
Denver—If you were busted recently for possessing a small amount of weed, your conviction may be overturned. Today, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that people whose cases were under appeal when Amendment 64 took effect in December of 2012 are eligible to have their convictions reversed. According to Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, prosecutors are now reviewing the court’s opinion to decide the next steps. Marijuana advocate Brian Vincente says the ruling could affect hundreds of people who were put in jail for petty pot offenses. Amendment 64 decriminalized possession of an ounce or less of weed.
WISHFUL WEED WORKERS LINE UP FOR JOBS
DENVER (AP) – The first applicants arrived five hours early and by the time the marijuana industry job fair opened in Denver, the line stretched for two blocks. Organizers say they heard beforehand from more than 600 job seekers who planned to attend the Thursday event. Many more are likely to come during the all-day job fair, judging from the number of people in line who say they only heard about it in the past few days. O.penVAPE, which makes vaporizers and other devices, organized the fair to meet its own growing staffing needs and help others in the industry. O.penVAPE spokesman Todd Mitchem says the company may need a venue bigger than its central Denver headquarters for the next fair, which he says is already being planned.
